900 GRACE STREET, ELGIN, IL

Year: 2015

TOURERS: Bryan, LAURA

COSTS: $25 GA/$35 VIP

$40 COMBO with PROJECT CHAOS

CHAINSAWS: 6/5

One thing we really value at Horror Tourers is consistency. We love it when we know we can go to a haunt year after year and always get the same quality experience, or an even better experience than we've had before. Over the many years we've been touring, a select few haunts have provided consistent entertainment to the point where we have no doubt that we're going to love the experience regardless of when we go. We're happy to say that at the top of that group is Evil Intentions. It's always consistently good, and usually excellent, no matter when we visit. That's a testament to their dedication to the craft of haunting and to bringing quality scares and fun to visitors, year after year.

When people ask us what's one of our top haunts, the first words out of our mouths are "Evil Intentions." They regularly deliver a high level of scares, laughs, and general creepiness. This year they changed up the theme, so we didn't quite know what to expect, but as usual we were not disappointed. In fact, we tend to think that this might be Evil Intentions' best year yet.

Evil Intentions specializes in creeping people out with their scenes, their location (a former casket factory), and most especially, with their actors. If we had to give an award for the best acting in a haunt, we'd probably have to give it to Evil Intentions. As any regular haunt goers know, acting can make or break a haunt. A haunt can have outstanding, Hollywood style sets, but if the actors are monotonous and undistinguished, you come out of it thinking "hey, great sets" and not much else. It's even worse if there are no great sets to break the acting monotony.

We can't say enough about the actors, either. Not only are there lots of them (no empty scenes or scenes with just one actor here), they all manage to create their own personas. There are loud and shouty actors (although never so shouty as to be annoying), quiet and creepy actors, actors that just stare at visitors, actors that follow visitors, little actors, big actors, and just plain odd actors (guy who looks like Nosferatu with the long fingers we're looking at you). Often visitors encounter different types of actors in each scene, coming from all directions, which makes for a constantly changing experience that doesn't let up.

The costuming and makeup is also top notch. While some actors simply wear makeup, it is more than the typical zombie look that many haunts seem to favor these days. Additionally, many actors were well designed masks and prosthetics so that their faces are distorted and when they pass you quickly or jump out at you, you are momentarily disoriented. A nice touch!

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention some of the great actors at Evil Intentions - out hats are off to the horse headed guy in the waiting area, our hostess and guide who led us into the haunt, the guy who told us the rules (and his minions), the Reverend, the Doctor and his patients, the dentist who seemed quite upset that his patients were leaving, Mr. longfingers (as mentioned before), the prisoners (especially the girl hanging upside down from the rafters), the guy with the mouth in his stomach who followed us, all of the creepy hooded figures (even though you're highly creepy), and the little girl with the doll mask. There are just too many to mention, so suffice it to say that we loved you all!

Evil Intentions has that special mix of creative sets and creative actors to fill them with. While some sets are typical of those found in haunts (jail cells/warehouse/church scenes), all of them are filled with hidden areas for actors to pop out of, and designed in such a way that visitors feel isolated from the outside world when they enter into the haunt. Special mention must be given to the new casket assembly line area, the jail cells, the domain of the Reverend ( a new character for this year), and the various rooms filled with chanting hooded figures.

Commentary

MAP

The haunt is essentially divided into two sections, each distinct from the other. The walk from the first section to the second provides a brief respite from the sensory assault that the haunt provides, although visitors do have to make it to the first exit door in one piece! The seond half of the haunt is entirely redisigned for this year, taking some already creepy sets and themes and extending them for longer periods, immersing visitors into the tale that Evil Intentions weaves throughout.​For instance, while Evil Intentions has featured a black mass room for several years, this year it's different and larger, while at the same time keeping all of the bits that made it unnerving in the first place. Whereas in years past visitors were able to pass through the black mass room and be done with it, this time around it seemingly goes on and on, albeit in various different forms. The peaks and valleys typical of haunt experiences (where an intense room is followed by a very slow period) are not quite the same at Evil Intentions. Basically, the high intensity level goes down to an average intensity level in between scenes, and it doesn't last for long before it's right back up there. We found ourselves laughing, cheering, applauding, and even getting a bit spooked, but we never found ourselves bored, and that's a good thing.

In short, Evil Intentions is a "big" haunt with the heart of a smaller, community operated haunted house. It's got a family feel, from the owners and operators to all of the actors, where it seems as though they really want visitors to have a good time, and to share their love of haunting with those who come to see what Evil Intentions offers. The dedication that everyone involved has for the haunt really shows in the experience - and that's ultimately what going to a haunt is all about - the experience. After all, people can stay home, put on a scary movie with the lights out and get scared. They don't need to spend money and go out to do it, and with the plethora of haunted houses the Chicagoland area offers, there are many potential choices. We're very happy to say that Evil Intentions has always been a top notch choice for us, and one that we know will not disappoint. Congratulations on another excellent year, a great new multi-year theme, and for being our first 2015 Hall of Fame pay haunt!